Weird Virginia: Runaway Sheep, Painting Elephants and a Georgetown Raccoon

Editor's Note: Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and D.C., and not a day goes by that something weird isn't happening somewhere in the area. Here's a look back at some weird goings on over the past week.

Lots of weird animal news around Virginia and D.C. this week.

In Centreville, some residents of the Virginia Run neighborhood had a really baaaaaad night Friday, when at least four sheep somehow got loose in the neighborhood.  

The sheep first made their appearance in the neighborhood around 6 or 7 p.m. Friday night. Fairfax County animal control finally rounded them up sometime around 10 a.m. Saturday. The sheep don't belong to Cox Farms—but farmer Lucas Cox did go out to help animal control round them up, according to Aaron Cox. 

In D.C., some weird but serious news - a man was bitten by a raccoon Saturday morning on 29th Street between Q and R streets NW, near Montrose Park.

Animal Control was called Saturday, but officers were unable to capture the raccoon. On Monday, DC Animal Control captured a rabid raccoon in Georgetown's East Village, according to an email sent to the neighborhood block captains.

Animal Control did not immediately know whether that raccoon was the biter. 

Back in Virginia, Appletree School Students Painted With Elephants.

Young students from Appletree School in Fairfax got a real treat Thursday when the staff from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus invited them to the Patriot Center for the opportunity to paint with an elephant.

Ringling Bros. partnered with Young Rembrandts to host the painting party, featuring Ringling’s star elephant, Kelly Ann.

The students joined a cast of clowns on the arena floor for the party and, prior to painting, Kelly Ann showed off her athleticism by dunking a basketball, catching a football and kicking a soccer ball, in addition to playing the harmonica.

The students then watched the artistic elephant produce her own masterpiece before painting their own circus-inspired works of art.

Reston Patch reports that a local nonprofit has had some explaining to to after someone lifted a picture of a little girl running in a past Joe Cassella 5K and claimed the girl had been killed in the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday.

Of course, kids can't run the Boston Marathon and no runners were killed, but Vivi Cassella, president and co-founder of the Leesburg-based Joe Cassella Foundation, says this is a good reminder of "the power of social media and it should teach people not to believe everything they see on the Internet."

The 2013 Joe Cassella 5K, which helps families of area sick children pay medical bills, is May 19 in Great Falls. It will feature a tribute to Boston.

In Lake Ridge, police say a man's pot stash was found out when his neighbor's house, well, went up in smoke.

Police discovered the marijuana after checking on the house neighboring the one on fire.

Mark Outlaw, 33, of Lake Ridge, was arrested April 16 and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. His court date is June 7, and he is being held on a $7,000 secured bond.

And in weird food news, Great Harvest in Lorton now has bacon lattes on the menu.

They're sweetened by maple syrup and topped with whipped cream and crumpled bacon bits.  

"It was awesome it tastes just like crispy bacon!" said Great Harvest barista Ryan Gormley, who perfected the recipe with store owner Jeanette Moler. "It has a sweet after taste from the maple syrup and a nice bacon after taste as well."

The lattes range in price from $3-$5. 

Can't get enough of Weird Virginia? Catch up on past stories here: